Leg rest mechanism for reclining articles of furniture



March 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,929,440

RTICLES OF FURNITURE use REST MECHANISM FOR RECLiNING A Filed Oct. 11,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY FRIDTJOFF-SCHUEPHACKE ATTORNEYS March 22, 1960 F, F. SCHLIEPHACKE2,929,440

LEG REST MECHANISM FOR RECLINING ARTICLES 01- FURNITURE Filed Oct. 11,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FR IDTJ OF F-SCHLIEPHACK E ATTORNEYS LEGREST MECHANISM FOR RECLG ARTICLES F FURNET Fridtjof F. Schliephacke,Berlin-Schmargendorf, Ger= many, assignor to Anton Lorenz, BoyntonBeach, Fla.-

Application October 11, 1957, Serial No. 689,729

7 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to an article offurniture such as a chair which is adjustable from an upright seatingposition to a more or less reclining position and which is provided withmeans for supporting the legs of the occupant when the body supportingelements are moved to the reclining position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a construction in which thebody supporting elements may be adjustedin accordance with the wishes ofthe occupant by changing of the body position, all body supporting partsof the chair being connected in such a manner as to automatically assumerelative positions to support the occupant most comfortably in whateversitting or reclining position he may desire.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide improvements inthe leg rest supporting linkage which will cause the leg rest to beadvanced into the desired approximately horizontal position when theback rest and seat have been brought to full reclining position and inwhich the leg rest may be brought towards its horizontal position morerapidly during movement of the back rest and seat to intermediatepositions than has been the case with many prior constructions. Theposition of the leg rest may thus be correlated with the positions ofthe seat and back rest, so that the legs of the occupant are supportedat all times in the most comfortable position to suit the degree towhich the body is reclined.

. Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a reclining arm chair, one side wall ofthe chair frame being omitted to show the construction of the linkage,the parts of the chair being. shown in an upright seating position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the construction of Figure 1 showing theparts in a partly reclining position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the full recliningposition of the parts.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified construction.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the parts in a recliningposition.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified constructionof leg rest linkage, and

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of the front part of theconstruction shown in Fig. 6 in reclining position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in all of the embodiments of theinvention illustrated, the article of furniture includes a suitable base12 comprising side frames connected by cross members. Only one of theside frames is shown at 14, the other side .frame being omitted to showthe operating linkage. The cross members connecting the side members areshown at 16. The particular form of the supporting frame is notimportant and maybe variedbothin shape andv materials used de- PatentedMar. 22, 196% pending on the style selected for the article offurniture. The improvements in the leg rest supporting linkage to hedescribed may be used in connection with various seat constructionshaving the seat and back rest mounted on a frame in various known Waysas well as in the partic-' ular constructions shown in the drawings.

in the particular forms of the invention illustrated, the bodysupporting members include a back rest 20 which y is shown as pivoted tothe supporting frame at pivot points 2-2. A seat 24 is provided havingrearwardly projecting ears 26 which are pivoted to the back rest atpoints 23 located at a distance above the pivot points 22. 30 is a legrest which is mounted on suitable links to be described so that it willhave a retracted position under the front end of the chair seat when thechair is in an upright seating position as shown in Figure 1 and will beautomatically projected into a more or less horizontal position when theoccupant leans back in the chair so as to tilt the back rest as shown inFigures 2 and 3. When the occupant desires to sit up he leans forwardand by exerting a slight downward pressure on the leg rest, the backrest and seat assume proper positions for an up right seatingposition'and the leg rest is retracted out of the way.

The back rest, seat and leg rest are connected by a system of linkage. Asingle system may be used but preferably a duplicate system is used ateach side of the chair. The linkage illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3corn sists of three interconnected pairs of links. The first pair oflinks comprises a first link 32 and a second link 34 pivoted together at36. The free end of the first link carries a pivot stud 38 which isconnected to the leg rest 38 and the free end of the second link 34 ispivoted to the front portion of the seat 24 at point 40.

The second pair of links comprises a first link 42 and a second link 44pivoted to each other at 46. The free end of the first link 42; ispivoted to the leg rest 30 at point as and crosses the second link 34 ofthe first pair of links to which it is pivoted at the crossing point 49.The free end of the secondlink 4d of the second pair of links is pivotedat to the free end of a guide link 5'2, the lower end of which ispivoted at 54 to the base 12.

The third pair of links comprises a. first link 56 and a second link 58which are pivoted together at point till. The free end of the secondlink 58 is pivoted to the base at point 62 and the first link 56 ispivoted at an intermediate point 64 to the chair seat. At its outer endhe yond the point 54 the link 5'6 is pivoted at 68 to an inter mediatepoint of the link 44 of the second pair of links. An actuating link 69is pivoted to a link of the third pair of links, it being shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3 as pivoted to the link 58 of the second pair of linksat point Til just below the pivot point 60. At its rear end theactuating link so is operably connected to the back rest, it being shownas being pivoted to the lower end of the back rest at point 72 which issubstantially below the point 22 at which the back rest is pivoted tothe frame. Thus when the back rest is tilted back it will cause theactuating link 69 to force the third pair of links 56 and 53 to a morenearly straight position, thereby raising the seat about its pivot to atilted position. The third pair of links 56 and 5d are thus seen tocomprise a toggle which tilts the seat and firmly supports it in thedesired tilted position.

The particular seat operating linkage above described forms a part ofthe subject matter of an application for US. patent filed by me April 9,1957, Serial #651,709, of which this case is therefore a continuation inpart. The present case is directed particularly to the leg rest linkagewhich may be used with various seat and back rest linkages.

It will be seen that when the chair is moved to a re clining positionthe movement of the link 56 around the pivot point 64 of the seat willpull back the second link 44 of the second pair of links, this link alsobeing rotated about the axis of the pivot 68 by its connection at point50 to the guide link 52 which is anchored to the stationary frame. Thiswill move the link 42 which is connected with the link 34 of the firstpair .of links and will cause the leg rest to be swung out, projectedforwardly from the chair and tilted to a more or less horizontalposition.

A novel construction for securing the proper angular position of the legrest is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and comprises the provision of aslot 80 in'the leg rest in which the pivot stud 38 carried by the link32 of the first pair of links slides. For controlling the position ofthe stud in this slot, a control link 82 is provided which is pivoted atits end at point 84 to an extension arm 86 which projects from the endof the first link 42 of the second pair of links beyond the pivot point48 where such link is pivoted to the leg rest. This arrangement permitsthe leg rest to assume a substantially horizontal position whencompletely projected in the full reclining adjustment of the bodysupporting elements and intermediate positions properly correlated tointermediate seat and back rest positions. The position of the head ofpivot 38 at the end of the slot nearest to the pivot 48 when the legrest is retracted (Fig. 1) gives rapid lift to the leg rest and quickersupport to the legs during the initial part of the leg rest movementwithout causing the leg rest to rise above the desired final position asthe pivot head is moved away from the pivot 48 (Fig.3). Thisconstruction permits of a substantial rise in elevation of the leg restso as to keep it in'proper position with respect to the front of theseat during the latter part of the reclining movement of the chair, butwithout a great change in the angular position of the leg rest withrespect to the floor level. Thus the leg rest reaches a nearlyhorizontal position during the intermediate positions of the chairwithout being caused to tilt upward to an Inn comfortable position withits forward edge higher than its rear edge when the chair is in itsextreme reclining position. The compound movement produced by action ofthe two leg rest supporting links, one of which has a sliding movementof its pivot pin produced by the swinging or lever action of the otherlink acting through the connecting link, results in the desiredpositioning of the leg rest at the various stages of the reclining cycleina manner not obtainable with constructions in which the links arepivoted to the leg rest at a fixed distance apart.

7 In order to close the space between the leg rest proper and the chairseat when the leg rest is projected, if desired, a strip 90 may beprovided extending transversely of the chair and attached at points 952to the first links 42 of the second pairs of links where a duplicate setof links is used at each side of the chair.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified construction of the leg rest linkage inwhich the first link 32a of the first pair of links carries the pivotstud 38 working in the slot 80 in the leg rest 30 as before. The secondlink 34 of the first pair of links is pivoted to the first link at 36and to the chair seat 24 at 40. It is also pivoted at 49 to the firstlink 42 of the second pair of links which is pivoted at 48a to the legrest. which is pivoted at 84 to the end of control link 82a. In thisinstance the other end of the control link 82:: is not pivoted to thelink 32a concentrically with the position of stud 38 but is connected toa point 87 on the link below the end which carries the stud 38. By thismeans a modified range of movements of the leg rest is secured.

Figures 4 and 5 also show the improved leg rest linkage as applied to adifferent means for supporting the seat and back rest. In thisconstruction the free end of the first link 42 of the second pair oflinks is pivoted at 46 to the free end of the second link 44a of thesecond pair of links. The other end of link 44a is pivoted at 90 to abracket 92 fixed to the side frame 14. In this construction the seat istilted by means of a guide plate 94 pivoted to a bracket on the-sideframe at point 96 and connected by a seat guide link 98 pivoted to theguide plate 94 at point 109 and to the seat at point 102. The guideplate 94 is connected by a power transmission link 104 which is pivotedto the guide plate at point 106 and is pivoted to an intermediate pointof the second link 44a of the second pair of leg rest links at 108. Theguide plate 94 is swung about its pivot by an actuating link 11d pivotedat 112 to the lower part of the back rest 20.

Figures 6 and 7 show another modification in the leg rest linkage inwhich the first link 32b of the first pair of leg rest supporting linkscarries a stud 3812 at a point below the outer end of the link. Thisstud operates in a slot 30b in the leg rest. The control link 8212 isconnected to the outer end of the link 3212 at point 87b beyond thelocation of the stud 38b. This construction permits further modificationin the ratio of movement between the leg rest and the seat and back restso as to produce the desired interrelationship between such positions.The seat and back rest linkage shown in Figures 6 and'7 is the same asthat illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it isunderstood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, andthat various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangementsof parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for thoseherein shown and described may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of repose for supporting the body of a person comprising astationary support, body supporting members operatively connected tosaid support, said body supporting members including a back rest memberand a seat member, a leg rest member and a system of linkage forconnecting said members for causing coordinated The link 42 has anextension 86 movement thereof when it is desired to change the positionsof the body supporting members in accordance with the Wishes of theoccupant, said system of linkage including two pairs of linksinterconnected with each other, links of the first and second pairs ofsaid links being pivoted to the leg rest at spaced points the distancebetween which is variable, the leg rest having a slot there in in whichthe pivotal connection between the leg rest and the first link of thefirst pair of links can slide, and a control link pivoted at one end tothe first link ofthe second pair of links at a point removed from thepoint at which said last named link is pivoted to the leg rest, theother end of said control link being pivoted to the first link of saidfirst pair of links whereby the pivotal connection between the firstlink of said first pair of links and the leg rest is caused to slide insaid slot in the leg rest when the leg rest is moved to raised positionby movement of the back rest towards a reclining position.

2. An article of repose for supporting the body of a person comprising astationary support, body supporting members operatively connected tosaid support, said body supporting members includinga back rest memberand a seat member, a leg rest member and a system of linkage forconnecting said members for causing coordinated movement thereof when itis desired to change the positions of the body supporting members inaccordance with the wishes of the occupant, said system of link ageincluding two pairs of links interconnected with each other, links ofthe first and second pair of said links being pivoted to the leg rest atspaced points the distance between which is variable, a link of thesecond pair of links being pivoted to the leg rest at a point removedfrom the free end of said link so as to provide a projecting lever armat the end of said link, the leg rest having a slot therein in which thepivotal connection between the leg rest and the free end of the firstlink of the first pair of links can slide, and a control link connectingthe free end ofthe lever arm at the end of the first link of said secondpair of links with the first link of said first point at which thecontrol link is pivotedto the first link of the first pair of linkscoincides with the pivotal connection between said first link and theleg rest.

4. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the point at which thecontrol link is pivoted to the first link of the first pair of links isbelow the point at which said first link is pivoted to the leg rest.

5. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which the point at which thecontrol link is pivoted to the first link of the first pair of links isabove the point at which said first link is pivoted to the leg rest.

6. An article of repose for supporting the body of a person comprisingbody supporting members including a back rest, a seat and a leg rest,and a system of linkage for connecting said members for causingcoordinated movement thereof when it is desired to change the positionsof the body supporting members in accordance with the wishes of theoccupant, there being links of said system connected to the leg rest atspaced points, one of said links being pivoted between its ends to theleg rest so as to provide an arm projecting at its end beyond the pointat which it is pivoted to the leg rest,

the free end of the second of said links having a pivotal and lostmotion connection with the leg rest, and a controlling'link connectedatone end to said pivotal and lost motion connection, and at its other?end to the projecting arm of said first link pivoted to the leg rest.

7. An article of repose for supporting the body of a a person comprisingbody supporting members including a back rest, a seat and a leg rest,and a system of linkage for connecting said members for causingcoordinated movement thereof when it is desired to change the positionsof the body supporting members in accordance with the wishes of theoccupant, there being first and second links of said system connected tothe leg rest at spaced points, the first of said links being pivoted tothe leg rest, the free end of the second of said links having a pivotaland lost motion connection with the leg rest, 7

and a controlling link connected at one end to said pivotal and lostmotion connection, and at its other end to a point on said first linkspaced from the point at which said link is pivoted to the leg rest. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain Nov. 19, 1952

